Brent Musburger to retire after nearly 50 years in broadcasting

You are looking live at the end of one of the most storied careers in sports broadcasting.

Brent Musburger is retiring at the end of January, ESPN announced. Musburger will call two more contests before hanging up the headset for good, with his final college basketball game (Georgia at Kentucky) coming at 9 p.m. EST on Jan. 31.

Musburger, who turns 78 in May, spent nearly 50 years in broadcasting, with the last 27 coming with ABC/ESPN. Cue up any old footage from the earlier days of sports television and you’re sure to find Musburger, whether it’s courtside, in the booth or behind the anchor’s desk in studio, working for CBS or ABC/ESPN. As sports took over more and more of the American public’s consciousness, Musburger was there to call a good amount of it.

Musburger became one of the network’s go-to broadcasters for college football and basketball in the early 2000s, calling seven BCS Championship Games. Musburger also served as either the host and/or play-by-play man for golf tournaments, NBA and Little League World Series games, NASCAR and IRL races and the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Musburger’s retirement is the latest departure in what has become a gradual changing of the guard at the network, which has also bid adieu to Chris Berman and Tom Jackson in recent months.